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“You’ll never sing that, champions of Europe,” rang out through the stadium as Nottingham Forest supporters celebrated another result against their Swedish opponents. A great deal has happened since Trevor Francis’s decisive header clinched the European Cup in the year 1979, but Forest still treasure those memories. Equally, significant changes have occurred in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took charge, with Forest appearing refreshed and earning a convincing win courtesy of goals from Kalimuendo, Ryan Yates, and Nikola Milenkovic, boosting their hopes of progressing in the Europa League.

Building Steam with Another Consecutive Win

For Nottingham Forest, this result – against a Swedish side that had not played for nearly a month after finishing in sixth place in their home competition – represented a third consecutive triumph across every tournament and further built on the momentum generated from last weekend’s success at Anfield. While this fixture was a reminder of the club's historic success in name, the encounter itself was free of any significant jeopardy or nerves.

It proved to be an occasion filled with sentiment, an eagerly awaited meeting and the third meeting between the teams since the European Cup final 46 years ago.

Forest fully embraced the history, honoring the heroes of that era by providing them, along with their visiting opponents, the red-carpet treatment. Thirteen members of the Swedish club’s team from then were additionally in attendance. The two clubs shared a dinner together before the kick-off. Frank Clark, Colin Barrett and company were given a rousing welcome when they assembled on the pitch 15 minutes before kick-off, and a typically impressive tifo was shown in the home stand.

Remembering History

“30th May 1979, John Robertson delivered the ball from the left flank,” displayed half of a giant tifo, in block capitals. While no one required a reminder of what ensued, the rest was revealed as the players came out from the tunnel. “There is Francis,” it continued. Another stunning tifo depicted Clough observing proceedings beside his right-hand man Taylor on a bench at the Munich stadium.

Control from the Start

So, Forest had soaked up those wonderful recollections, but what about the showing on the evening? It was pretty good, too. They were in full command from the moment the forward whistled an effort off target inside two minutes and built a two-goal lead by the break. Domínguez sent an early header wide and then Abbott, on his first European start, tried his luck.

It felt fitting that Yates, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, made the initial breakthrough in the visitors' defense led by their own homegrown skipper, Pontus Jansson, formerly of Leeds United and Brentford. The Forest centre-back Milenkovic saw a delivery cannon off a opponent and into the pathway of the midfielder, who swept home with his right foot from just inside the penalty area to register his first goal since March.

Another Goal Seals Dominance

The scorer was involved in Forest’s next goal on the verge of the interval, as well, his free header parried by the goalkeeper Melker Ellborg but Kalimuendo poised to tap in the rebound from point-blank range. McAtee, the playmaker given a seldom start and only his second outing since the autumn, was the spark, lofting a perfect ball towards his teammate at the back post.

Just moments before, Callum Hudson-Odoi driven shot was deflected aside off Malmö back Rösler, son of ex- Manchester City striker Uwe, and an unmarked the defender also earlier had a powerful header instinctively repelled by Ellborg, who returned in place of the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Olsen.

Malmö’s Struggles

This was the Swedish side's initial game since the Swedish Allsvenskan concluded on 9 November, and they found it hard to equal Forest’s energy. The Reds made it 3-0 when the defender applied the finishing touch after his centre-back partner Murillo kept alive a corner. The captain had a volley blocked, but the Serbia defender Milenkovic feasted on the leftovers.

The home side then went for the jugular, with the winger dinking a right-foot shot on to the bar before Sangaré sent an ambitious effort off target from 30 yards. It was one of those nights. The manager, mindful of Sunday’s domestic fixture here against Brighton, made multiple alterations from the team that surprised the Reds at Anfield last weekend, when they additionally scored three times, though he introduced substitutes and Igor Jesus midway through the second half.

Smooth Night for Forest

It proved a hiccup-free night for Forest. Dyche could withdraw the defender with the match already sewn up and subsequently introduced teenage defender Sinclair for his senior bow. He talked about the Forest old guard supplying “valuable insights” at regular meetings and, nearly fifty years on, the present squad showed they are capable of a few nuggets of thrills, too.